Maggots: 
Maggots are often mentioned as the greatest “all-round” bait of every other baits available. Maggots are the larval form of the bluebottle fly, the natural colour is actually a clear colour, but for us anglers they are coloured in a variety of colours with Red, Bronze, pink and white being the most common. I have even seen Blue coloured! 

What colour?:
Its a funny thing, even though fish cannot see colour, the colour of your bait makes a difference, and maggots are no exception. Different colours tend to work for different species and in various conditions. 
My favorite colour for Bream, Perch and Tench would always be a plump red maggot or even a double (Two maggots on the hook). Perch love them, and I guess its because it is in the same shade for blood considering that Perch are predators? However I don’t have a clue why Bream and Tench love them so much, they just do, so don’t leave home without them!

For Roach and Chub try a bronze coloured maggot, these tend to sort out the bigger sized fish too. If you are fishing the rivers in the winter for Chub, then try adding tumeric to the maggots the night before (Just a little bit), I have had huge success with some good Chub. Tumeric can be bought from the supermarket in the herbs and spices section.  

White Maggots are good all rounder, but can make a difference in the winter.  

Fresh is best: 
remember when buying maggots, try to get as fresh as possible, where possible, go to the biggest tackle shop in your area, they are the one that most likely will have the freshest maggots. Or perhaps the shop where there is a large amount of match anglers. 

Pinkies:

Pinkies are the larvae of the green bottle fly, and are present on most match anglers bait tables. Like Maggots, can be bought in various colours, but the most popular are red and fluorescent pink. Pinkies make great loose feed baits on stillwaters as well as canals, and a terrific hook bait if you are targeting small fish. If fishing a match, and no one is catching, try putting a fluoro pinkie on and see if you can catch a few roach, this can often win the match in the middle of winter! If the water is a hard fished water then pinkies can often make a difference between catching fish and driving home having not caught a fish! So don’t leave home without them!

Hook sizes
Pinkies are alot smaller than the standard maggot, therefore you should choose your hook sizes according to the baits you use. In the winter I wouldn't hesitate to put an size 22 or 24 size hook on the line for a single pinkie bait, but in the summer months in my opinion there is not much point going below a 20 unless the fishing is slow, then I would consider scaling down to a smaller hook. 
For maggots, a size 18-20 fine wired hook for a single hookbait, or a size 16-18 for double hookbaits. Remember to use a fine wired hook, this means the baits are less prone to bursting when you put them on the hook and it also gives a more natural presentation in the water which means more bites!

Squatts:
Squatts are the larvae of the common housefly and are the smallest of the maggot family. Squatts don’t tend to be especially lively, so they are perfect as loose feed in groundbaits as they won’t break up the ball when being thrown/catapulted in. Another advantage to not being as lively is they don’t bury themselves into the bottom of the lake/river as quickly as maggots or pinkies would. 
Squatts tend to be associated with canal fishing, and are essential for any respectable canal angler. Without these on your bait tray you will struggle on canals. 

Top Tip: 
When you buy squatts from the tackle shop, they tend to be in sand, it is always a good idea to riddle off the sand and replace that with maize flour. There are two reasons for this, maize flour will stop them sweating, and secondly to avoid damage to your pole joints should you be pole fishing. Sand scratches your pole, and could in fact split your sections meaning expensive replacements. 

Casters: 
Casters are phase before the maggot turns into a fly, its the chrysalis stage and fish go bonkers for them! They have a crispy shell with a soft, juicy center! 

Top tip: 
Dark casters sink slower than lighter ones, so this makes the perfect bait for fishing on the drop, just remember to use a thin wired light hook to make sure it doesn’t sink too quickly.  

Worms:
Worms are referred to as the most deadly bait any angler can use. They are readily available and loved by everything that swims. The worm is the most natural bait, and nothing is more attractive to fish!

There are three main types of worm that are readily used in Coarse fishing, they are Lobworms, Dendrobaenas and redworms. They will catch all manor of species, however I personally would choose certain worms according to the species I am going to fish for.

Lobworms:

These are a real favorite of big plump Perch, if these are your target on a water known for bigger Perch, then choose a big juicy Lobworm!

 

Dendrobaenas:

These making excellent baits for Tench in stillwaters, and can also sort out the bigger Roach from the smaller in a water filled with Roach. They also make ideal size for chopping up into smaller pieces and feeding via a pole pot or in a groundbait for almost anything that swims! Bream, Tench, Carp, Roach all love chopped worm!

 

RedWorms:

These make the ideal hookbait for bream, remember to chop a few dendros to add to your groundbait or to pole pot into your swim. You will need plenty of feed to hold a big shoal of Bream on your peg!